Measured liquid dispenser

ABSTRACT

A discharge pipe, with a downwardly directed outer end serving as a nozzle disposed over a can or the like to receive a measured amount of liquid, is connected with the discharge port of a pump cylinder, whose intake port has a standpipe extending downwardly into a small tank that contains the liquid at a constant level by reason of float control, there being an overhead supply tank delivering the liquid to the small tank by gravity. An air operated piston in an air cylinder behind the pump cylinder operates the piston of the pump cylinder once per can as a spring-pressed arm that controls an air valve for the air cylinder is swung in one direction by a can fed past it and the arm thereafter returns to normal position under spring pressure. The rate of discharge of liquid from the pipe is regulated by a manually adjustable valve to avoid splatter, this being possible by virtue of the operation of the pump piston under air pressure. A pair of check valves seating inwardly in the discharge pipe and another pair of check valves seating outwardly in the intake port and its related standpipe cut off the liquid discharge positively at the end of each discharge even if one of a pair of valves fails to seat fully, thus assuring exactly the same amount of liquid being dispensed in every operation.

mite States Patent Russell G. Rutherford 8045 Beach Drive, Rockford, 111. 61103 [21] Appl. No. 805,391 [22] Filed Feb. 3, 1969 Division of Ser. No. 552.803. \lar. 25, 1966. Pat. No. 3,431,953. [45] Patented June 22, 1971 [72] Inventor [54] MEASURED LIQUID DISPENSER 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 137/417, 137/420, 137/454, 141/160 [51] lnt.Cl ..F16k 31/24, F16k 31/38 [501 Fieldol Search 137 209,

3,384,104 5/1968 Skolietal. 137/209 Primary ExaminerAlan Cohan Assistant ExaminerDavid R. Matthews AttorneyAndrew F. Wintercorn ABSTRACT: A discharge pipe, with a downwardly directed outer end serving as a nozzle disposed over a can or the like to receive a measured amount of liquid, is connected with the discharge port of a pump cylinder, whose intake port has a standpipe extending downwardly into a small tank that contains the liquid at a constant level by reason of float control, there being an overhead supply tank delivering the liquid to the small tank by gravity. An air operated piston in an air cylinder behind the pump cylinder operates the piston of the pump cylinder once per can as a spring-pressed arm that controls an air valve for the air cylinder is swung in one direction by a can fed past it and the arm thereafter returns to normal position under spring pressure. The rate of discharge of liquid from the pipe is regulated by a manually adjustable valve to avoid splatter, this being possible by virtue of the operation of the pump piston under air pressure. A pair of check valves seating inwardly in the discharge pipe and another pair of check valves seating outwardly in the intake port and its related standpipe cut off the liquid discharge positively at the end of each discharge even if one of a pair of valves fails to seat fully, thus assuring exactly the same amount of liquid being dispensed in every operation.

PATENTEDJUHZZISH 3,586,035

SHEET 1 UF 3 f m en 150/" P0558 G, Rutherford PATENTEU JUN22 12m SHEET 2 [IF 3 bra/760x RUJJG 6. Rutherford Atty PATENTEUJUNZZIHYI 3586335 SHEET 3 OF 3 [/7 Vendor Passe/l dfiut/berfom Atty.

MEASURED LIQUID DISPENSER This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 552,803, filed May 25, I966, which resulted in U. S. Pat. No. 3,43l,953 on Mar. 11,1969.

This invention relates to a measured liquid dispenser which, while specially designed for use in canning plants to dispense brine in an accurately measured amount into each can as it is being fed to the filler in a canning line and constructed to assure continuous operation properly in such humid environments where electrical components would not be at all satisfactory, making air operation the ultimate in reliability, and requiring operation as fast as the can fillers, even on lines handling up to 360 cans per minute, is not limited to that specific application, inasmuch as any brines, syrups, or solutions may be dispensed and the amount dispensed at each operation is variable to suit practically any requirement that may arise.

The versatility of the present dispenser in the dispensing of any liquid, waterlike or syruplike, containing ingredients in canned food products, or even liquids containing soft undissolved solids in suspension, is best emphasized by listing below typical materials that can be dispensed:

Salient features of the dispenser are:

I. It is fully automatic in that the unit offers the all important no-can, no-fill feature;

2. It is easy to take apart for cleaning and servicing;

3. A constant level liquid tank is in one assembly with and below the liquid cylinder, liquid being supplied to it through a level control mechanism on the liquid tank from an overhead gravity supply tank, thereby erasing any likelihood of any variation in the volume dispensed per stroke by reason of change of level in the liquid tank from which the liquid is pumped in by dispensing operation, and b reducing to a minimum the surge effect or water hammer" action which a longer column of liquid would necessarily involve, especially with the high frequency of dispensing operations required;

4. A manually operated volume control adjustment at one end of the air cylinder accurately predetermines the intake stroke of the air piston and accordingly of the liquid piston so that infinite adjustment of volume of liquid dispensed is made possible, and, once the desired adjustment is obtained, a locknut on the adjusting screw can e tightened to eliminate any likelihood of alteration accidentally or otherwise;

. A trip valve for controlling the operation of the dispenser has an arm oscillated in one direction once per can as they are fed into position under the dispenser nozzle, this arm being returned to initial position after the can passes by spring pressure on the valve plunger by reason of engagement thereon of a finger provided on said arm, whereby to shut off air to the air cylinder automatically and thus eliminate any likelihood of any liquid being dispensed in the absence of a can to receive it; and

6. A shutoff valve in the discharge line to the nozzle is adjustable to regulate discharge and prevent splatter, regulation of the movement of the pistons being made possible by the operation with compressed air.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a typical brine dispensing installation using the measured liquid dispenser of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through said dispenser, omitting the float mechanism seen in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 3 is a cross section on the broken line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the trip valve shown on a smaller scale in FIG. 2;

FIG; 6 is a section on IineG-ti as we; 3, stating the si dr the dispenser in side elevation, and p w j FIG. 7 is a sectional detail on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawings, and at first mainly to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 9 designates the measured liquid dispenser of my invention generally, which is shown set adjacent a filler 10 in a canning plant and having cans 11 delivered to the filler one by one from. a table 12 by an indexing rotor 13, the indexing movement of rotor 13 being timed with the indexing movement of the filler 10 so that in the pauses between these indexing movements the foremost can 11 disposed in the station below the nozzle 14 will receive its measured amount of brine or other liquid as indicated at 15 from the nozzle 14, that can being then moved out of the way and to the filler 10 to position another can in that same station. The cans are conveyed to the filler in any suitable way from a supply source for final discharge down a chute 16 leading to the table 12, so that there will always be another can ready to receive the brine or other liquid from the nozzle 14. Should there be a failure of supply of cans for any reason, the trip valve 17, which is operated automatically by the oscillation of the arm 18 against the resistance of a tension spring or rubber band 19 by abutment of the foremost can with the arm 18, as shown in FIG. 1, will automatically cut off the dispensing of the brine or other liquid and presumably the filling means for filler 10 will be automatically shut off at the same time. Compressed air for operating the dispenser 9 is delivered to the trip valve 17 through a flexible hose 20 from a pipe 21 connected to the canning plant air supply system, a gauge 22 at the point of connection of hose 20 with pipe 21 indicating the air pressure to the operator so that, in starting up, if there is not sufficient air pressure indicated by the gauge 22 to operate the dispenser 9, the operator can stop the feeding of cans 11 to the filler 10 until the right pressure is indicated. A handle is shown at 23 to operate an air shutoff valve 24 provided on the back of the gauge 22. With each retracting movement of the arm 18 under action of spring 19, air is delivered, as shown best in FIG. 2, from the trip valve 17 through a flexible hose 25 connected to the forward end of the air cylinder 26 to force the piston 27 therein to the rear, and, virtue of its rod connection 28 with the piston 29 working in the liquid cylinder 30, pump a measured amount of brine or other liquid from the constant level liquid tank 31 into the cylinder 30, so that when the foremost can 11 engages and moves the arm 18 forwardly against the action of the spring 19 this measured amount of brine or other liquid will be discharged from the cylinder 30 through the nozzle 14 by reason of air being discharged through the flexible tube 32 to the rear end of the air cylinder 26 to force the piston 27 forwardly and with it piston 29 in cylinder 30 on the discharge stroke. Hose 25 serves as an exhaust line during the forward movement of piston 27, and hose 32 serves as an exhaust line during the rearward movement of piston 27.

The brine or other liquid being dispensed is supplied from a large overhead tank OT by gravity through a downwardly extending flexible hose 33 to the constant level liquid tank 31 disposed directly under and connected to cylinder 30. The hose 33 has its lower discharge end connected to a supply valve 341 at 35 (see H6. 1) and the brine or other liquid is conducted through bore 36 into the liquid tank 31 through an end opening 37 in the valve body and a registering opening 38 in the sidewall of the tank, the flow being controlled by an air operated shutoff valve 39 reciprocated by a piston 40 working in cylinder 41, compressed air for operating the piston being delivered from air supply hose 20' through the end connection 12 from a hose 43 extending to the float controlled valve 141 provided on one side of the constant level liquid tank 31. A float d rigidly secured to a bellcrank lever 16 pivoted at 37 in the upper portion of the tank 31 on one side thereof operates the valve Ml downwardly to close the valve 39 when the desired level is attained in the tank 31. For such operation, the lever 16 has an arm 41% extending through a slot 419 provided in the sidewall of the tank A leaf spring 511 fixed at one end to the body 51 of valve 441 normally urges the valve upwardly to its other extreme position in which air is delivered through hose 413' to the cylinder 41 on the other side of piston 39 to open valve 39 for delivery of brine or other liquid to tank 31 y gravity from the higher level supply tank OT.

The manually operated volume control adjustment provided by the screw 52 at one end of the air cylinder 26 for accurately predetermining the length of the intake stroke of the air piston 27 and accordingly predetermining the stroke of the liquid piston 29 so that infinite adjustment of volume of liquid dispensed is made possible follows, in general, the teaching of my U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,258, but, in the present construction, the piston rod 28 has an extension 28 extending from the air cylinder 26 for abutment at its outer end with the screw 52 outside the air cylinder, the crosshead 53, in which the screw 52 is threaded, as indicated at 54, being rigidly mounted on the end of the air cylinder 26 on two parallel bolts 55. A locknut 56 threaded on the adjusting screw 52 can be tightened against the crosshead 53 after the screw 52 has been properly adjusted, whereby to maintain the adjustment and eliminate any likelihood of alteration of the adjustment, accidentally, or otherwise.

The pump and tank assembly forming the present dispenser, designated generally by the reference numeral 9, is unique even though the pump shown follows generally the disclosure of my earlier patent mentioned above. The baseplate 57 for support of the pump structure serves as the central part of a top closure plate for the liquid tank 31, the head 56 for one end of the pump structure being loosely held in place on the plate by a crossbar 59, as will soon appear, the crossbar being fastened by screws to the plate. Head 58 has a counterbore 611 in one side receiving one end of the tube forming the liquid cylinder 39, the other end of which is received in a counterbore 61 provided in one side of a plug 62 forming the other end of the liquid cylinder 311. The other side of plug 62 forms one end of the air cylinder 26 and is of reduced diameter, as indicated at 63, and has a telescoping fit in one end of the tube forming the air cylinder, the other end also having a telescoping fit on the reduced portion 641 of a plug 65 forming the other end of the air cylinder 26. A back plate 66, which is fastened by screws to the plate 57 and to which the plug 65 is secured by means of screws 67, has bolts 68 extending through parallel holes provided therein and through registering holes in the crossbar 59 previously mentioned and head 55, nuts 69 threading on the projecting ends of said bolts whereby not only to draw all of the parts of the pump assembly tightly together in liquid tight and airtight relationship to one another, and yet permit the entire assembly to be taken apart fairly easily and thoroughly cleaned to meet all sanitary requirements fully, but also utilize the bolts 65 and crossbar 59 as a means of detachably securing the head 59 to the plate 57. The head 58, tube 30, plug 62, tube 26, plug 65, and back plate 66 are all of polyvinyl chloride or other plastic material not subject to attack by acids and alkalies, and the same is true of the two parts forming the piston 29 and its scraper ring 70 in the liquid cylinder 311. The metal parts, like the piston rod 29, and the locknut 71 and other metal parts coming into contact with the liquids are of stainless steel to resist corrosion. Rubber O-rings are indicated at 72-75 to provide liquidtight joints at opposite ends of the liquid cylinder 30 and airtight joints at opposite ends of the air cylinder 26. Other O-rings are indicated at 76 and 77 cooperating with the shaft 23 and its extension 28, to prevent leakage of air along the shaft at either end of the air cylinder 26, and still another O-ring is indicated at 78 in the piston 29 within the scraper ring 79 to maintain the ring 711 under radial compression to prevent leakage of liquid past the piston 29 in the reciprocation thereof in the liquid cylinder 39.

The liquid tank 31 and the plate 57 and 78' forming the closures for the opposite ends of the tank are also of polyvinyl chloride or other plastic material, as is also the body of the valve 34 that is fastened to one side of the cylinder 31 by means of screws 79, so that none of these parts are subject to attack acids and alkalies. Here again, all of the metal parts that come into contact with the liquids, like the screws 79, are of stainless steel to resist corrosion The standpipe 89 extending downwardly into the liquid tank 31 and threaded at its upper end in the bottom of the head 58, as indicated at 81, and the body 132 for the check valve threaded on the lower end of the standpipe are also of polyvinyl chloride or other suitable plastic material for the same reasons previously indicated. Two parallel plastic side plates 83 and 84 suitably fastened by means of screws to the upper end of the liquid tank 31 are disposed in close abutment with opposite sides of the generally rectangular plate 57 to cooperate with said plate to complete a closure for the upper end of the liquid tank, and a dowel pin 85 mounted on the upper end of the tank fits freely in a vertical hole provided in one end of the plate 57 to locate the plate 57 and hold it against endwise movement so that a pair of turn type fasteners 87 pivotally secured at one end to the previously mentioned plates 83 and 841,515 at 88, are enough to hold the plate 57 securely in place on top of the liquid tank 31 and yet permit the entire pump structure to be removed and replaced without any difficulty, as required for easier disassembly and reassembly in cleaning, or for other purposes.

The operation of this measured liquid dispenser should be fairly clear from the foregoing description. Assuming a can 11 has just received its charge of brine or other liquid from nozzle 14% and has been shifted over to the filler 111 by the indexing rotor 13, the arm 19 on the trip valve 17 is accordingly pulled back by spring 19, causing the spring pressed finger 159 to shift the valve plunger 90 of trip valve 17 to its other extreme position, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, to deliver compressed air through hose 25 to the forward end of air cylinder 26 and move piston 27 to the rear, thereby moving piston 29 in the liquid cylinder 39 on its intake or suction stroke. Under these circumstances, the two stainless steel ball check valves 91 and 92 at opposite ends of the stand pipe 80 are unseated allowing the brine or other liquid pumped from tank 31 through the standpipe 30 to flow into the liquid cylinder 39 through the port 93 in the plug 58, the other stainless steel ball check valve 94 controlling flow between the passage 95 that leads from the cylinder 311 and the passage 96 that leads out to the plastic nozzle 14, through plastic pipe 97, being closed under atmospheric pressure. Then, as soon as the next can 11 engages the arm 18 and moves it forwardly to shift the valve 90 to its other extreme position against the action of the spring 19, air is delivered through tube 32 to the rear end of air cylinder 26 moving the piston 27 and piston 29 forward on the discharge stroke, check valves 91 and 92 being closed under pressure, and check valve 9 1 being opened so as to allow the measured amount of liquid to be dispensed through nozzle 14. Another stainless steel ball check valve 98 in the plastic swivel fitting 99 cooperates with check valve 94 at opposite ends of the discharge line in the same way as the check valve 91 and 92 at opposite ends of the intake line to insure stoppage of flow even if one of the two check valves operating in tandem fails to close due to some solid particle lodging between the ball and its seat. A hand-operable all plastic, shutoff valve 100 is provided in the discharge line, as shown. This valve serves also to reduce flow if and when the liquid being dispensed would otherwise splatter when it hits the bottom of the can 11, such regulation in discharge being a further advantage obtained by the use of compressed air for operating the dispenser. Obviously, if the last can 11 available is shifted from table 12 to flller 10, leaving the arm 18 in the retracted position, to which it is operated by spring 19, as mentioned before, there will be no further discharge of brine or other liquid being dispensed, because the discharge stroke of pistons 29 and 27 requires the forward oscillation again of the arm 18 by the next can. For any protracted shutdown of the dispenser, the operator will close the shutoff valve 100 to prevent seepage of the liquid to and consequent drippage from the nozzle 14. After any protracted shutdown, the operator should after opening valve 100 swing the noule 14 on its swivel 99 to an out of the way position and put the dispenser 9 through a few operations by hand manipulation of the arm 18 to be sure that the device is operating correctly. In that way, there is eliminated any likelihood of one or more cans 11 not receiving the same predetermined amount of brine or other liquid being dispensed. The hand-operable all plastic, drain valve 101 on the bottom of the liquid tank 31 enables draining all of the liquid from the tank whenever the dispenser 9 is to be cleaned and whenever it is to be changed from dispensing of one liquid to dispensing another.

It is obvious that the valve plunger 90 of trip valve 17 can be removed for cleaning or replacement by merely throwing finger 89 over dead center to an opposite extreme position. The plunger 44 in body 51 is also easily removable and replaceable by removal of the screw securing the return spring 50 to body 51. In both cases, the bore from which the plunger is removed is then open from end to end for easy cleaning.

it is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In combination in a measured liquid dispenser, an upper level large gravity tank for a supply of liquid, a lower level smaller tank receiving liquid by gravity from said upper level tank through a conduit, a reciprocable shutoff valve controlling flow from said conduit into said smaller tank operable back and forth by a piston in a cylinder under air pressure from a source of compressed air to insure maintenance of a desired constant level in said smaller tank with close accuracy, means at a fixed elevation relative to said smaller tank for taking liquid from said smaller tank and dispensing the same in measured amounts to receptacles, a float in said smaller tank, and an air valve operable by the float and controlling the delivery of compressed air to and exhausting of air from opposite ends of the aforesaid cylinder.

2. In combination, an upper level larger gravity tank for a supply of liquid, a lower level smaller tank receiving liquid by gravity from said upper level tank through a conduit, a reciprocable shutoff valve in said conduit operable back and forth by a piston in a cylinder under air pressure from a source of compressed air, means for pumping liquid from said smaller tank and dispensing the same in measured amounts to receptacles, a float in said smaller tank, and an air valve operable by the float and controlling the delivery of compressed air to and exhausting of air from opposite ends of the aforesaid cylinder, the float being fixed to a lever pivoted relative to said small tank so as to oscillate said lever in response to rise and fall of liquid level in said tank, said air valve comprising a body having a through ore provided therein, a valve plunger longer than said bore reciprocable therein and having one end engaged by said lever to be moved in one direction when the liquid level rises to a predetermined extent so as to shut off delivery of liquid to said tank, and a spring on said body engaging the other end of said plunger to move it in the opposite direction when the liquid level drops to a predetermined extent so as to open up delivery of liquid to said tank.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the last mentioned spring is an elongated leaf spring having one end disposed transversely relative to one end of said bore and engaging the other end of said plunger to move it in the opposite direction when the liquid level drops to a predetermined extent so as to open up delivery of liquid to said tank, the other end of said leaf spring being detachably secured to said body, whereby to permit removal of said spring and removal thereafter of said valve plunger. 

1. In combination in a measured liquid dispenser, an upper level large gravity tank for a supply of liquid, a lower level smaller tank receiving liquid by gravity from said upper level tank through a conduit, a reciprocable shutoff valve controlling flow from said conduit into said smaller tank operable back and forth by a piston in a cylinder under air pressure from a source of compressed air to insure maintenance of a desired constant level in said smaller tank with close accuracy, means at a fixed elevation relative to said smaller tank for taking liquid from said smaller tank and dispensing the same in measured amounts to receptacles, a float in said smaller tank, and an air valve operable by the float and controlling the delivery of compressed air to and exhausting of air from opposite ends of the aforesaid cylinder.
 2. In combination, an upper level larger gravity tank for a supply of liquid, a lower level smaller tank receiving liquid by gravity from said upper level tank through a conduit, a reciprocable shutoff valve in said conduit operable back and forth by a piston in a cylinder under air pressure from a source of compressed air, means for pumping liquid from said smaller tank and dispensing the same in measured amounts to receptacles, a float in said smaller tank, and an air valve operable by the float and controlling the delivery of compressed air to and exhausting of air from opposite ends of the aforesaid cylinder, the float being fixed to a lever pivoted relative to said small tank so as to oscillate said lever in response to rise and fall of liquid level in said tank, said air valve comprising a body having a through ore provided therein, a valve plunger longer than said bore reciprocable therein and having one end engaged by said lever to be moved in one direction when the liquid level rises to a predetermined extent so as to shut off delivery of liquid to said tank, and a spring on said body engaging the other end of said plunger to move it in the opposite direction when the liquid level drops to a predetermined extent so as to open up delivery of liquid to said tank.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the last mentioned spring is an elongated leaf spring having one end disposed transversely relative to one end of said bore and engaging the other end of said plunger to move it in the opposite direction when the liquid level drops to a predetermined extent so as to open up delivery of liquid to said tank, the other end of said leaf spring being detachably secured to said body, whereby to permit removal of said spring and removal thereafter of said valve plunger. 